Hera's Plan
by Sakura's Pointe Shoes
Summary: Hera has a new plan to get her husband's attention. Zeus is completely oblivious to said plan until it is in effect. Hades worries. A ZeusHera fic with a touch of HadesHera.
1. Ambitions

**Title:** Hera's Plan

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Greek mythology. Not making any money off this, it's purely for fun.

**A/N:** I've always wanted to write something for Greek mythology, and I just got into the whole Zeus/Hera thing. This fic, however, turned out to have a little Hades/Hera thing going on, so I suppose it's a blend of Hera/Zeus and Hera/Hades. Anyways, please read and tell me what you think.

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**Chapter One: Ambitions**

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Hera, Queen of all the Olympians, goddess of marriage and childbirth, could be downright temperamental when she wanted to be. She was feisty, jealous, and armed with a dangerously sharp tongue, yet she could not keep Zeus in line.

When she had discovered his latest affair with a mortal princess down in Greece, she had flown into a fit of rage but instead of attacking her husband, she locked herself in her bedchamber and had not emerged for weeks. The lock on the massive door was created by Hephaestus, therefore it was impossible for even Zeus to break through.

She sulked all day and night, until she came to a realization one afternoon. Her handmaidens were combing through her long, vibrantly red locks as she lounged on her plush cushions, her lithe, slender body sprawled comfortably.

_What do I need to do to make my husband stay faithful to me? _She thought frustratedly. She stared at her surroundings, the radiant marble walls and floors, the lavish decorations and statues, the bountiful fruits laid out for her to eat...

_If I were to fall terribly ill, I could claim it was because of his philandering ways. I would tell him that he caused me so much distress, even a goddess could not bear it. He'd never touch another woman again, if it meant my death._

Hera was triumphant with joy. She sprang up, much to the surprise of her maids, who had gotten used to their mistress's idleness. They whispered amongst themselves, their fair faces expressing concern for their Queen. Even though she was quite high-strung, her maids truly cared for Hera, as daughters cared for their mothers, however irritating they could be.

_Surely Hades must have something for my purpose._ Hera contemplated as she descended from merry Mount Olympus. She covered herself in a long cloak, so as not to cause any supicion among the other deities. She did not have to worry about her husband seeing her, for she knew that he was cavorting about with the woodland nymphs on rocky Greece.

So Hera's mind was made up, she was confident in her plan to win her husband's heart back. After Helios raced across the sky on his gleaming chariot and the sun set, she marched down to the Underworld to enlist the assistance of Zeus' older brother and King of the Dead, Hades.

She was rather disgusted at having to cross the River Styx, as if she were just another dead soul hoping to gain entrance to the Underworld. She stood, pride and a hint of arrogance in her stance, and watched the old ferryman Charon as he heaved his oar through the mucky water.

Finally, the barge reached Cerebrus, the snarling three-headed beast that guarded the gates of Hades' palace. Hera stepped off the barge, ignoring Charon and his greedy protests of payment and approached the dog with flippancy.

She reached up to stroke one of its snouts, but all of the heads snapped at her thin hand, and this angered her very much. With the volume of a hundred voices, Hera cried, "Vile, loathsome creature, move aside for the Queen of Olympus!"

Like a pup put in its place, Cerebrus whined and backed down, its spiked tail hanging between its hind legs.

Satisfied, the regal goddess continued unimpeded into the palace. She was led to the throne room where she found Hades, looking morose and depressed as ever, sitting on his high throne of black marble. Since she was brightly dressed, Hades' eyes were immediately drawn to her.

"Hail Hades, King of the Underworld, the Rich one who keeps all souls," Hera sank into a curtsey, clutching her numerous skirts of her voluminous gown. Hades seemed quite surprised at her demeanor as he returned her salute.

"Hail Hera, beautiful Queen," He knew how she loved flattery, "What brings you to my lair?"

Hera, who thought she knew exactly how to take advantage of Hades, played him as an expert musician might play a lute. On Greece, it was the season of Spring, thus accounting for Persephone's absence. She knew how miserable Hades was when he was alone.

"My home was stifling to me, I found myself in need of a change of atmosphere and scenery. As I was leaving, I thought, 'Why, I shall visit Hades, I have not seen him for a very long time.' I hoped you would enjoy my company, but if you would prefer I leave, I will not further intrude upon your privacy." She paused and then deliberately looked as if she were about to turn around and depart.

With a look of mastered flirtatiousness, Hera peered up at the solemn god through her long lashes.

"Of course you are welcome here, dear Hera. I am afraid that there is not much for festivities, you know I do not entertain often." His sardonic tone elicited a rippling fit of laughter from her. He admired the color in her pretty face, how her large amber-flecked eyes fixed themselves on him...So reminiscent of his wife, only his wife detested being with him.

Hera's mirth was so contagious that it even caused him to smile, his face not used to the unfamiliar gesture.

"You are very charming when you are happy, my dear, very lovely indeed. It is an enormous mystery to me why my brother cannot be appeased when he is in possesion of such an engaging goddess."

By the end of his speech, Hades had stood and glided toward her. He was a bit close for her liking, she stared up into his eyes and noticed the blue flecks in his otherwise black eyes. She blushed at his earnest flattery.

"I am not what you say. But you are quite handsome yourself, Hades, in a brooding, sensitive way." She admitted, gazing curiously at his shaggy black hair, masculine face and strong build.

At her compliment, Hades scoffed, "If I were handsome, perhaps Persephone would be able to stand my presence." He was extremely self deprecating, in an endearing sort of manner.

"She can be foolish. She is but a child among us, who have been living for thousands of years. She does not appreciate you enough." Hera said as she gently caressed his cheek, delighted when he leaned into her touch.

He was so starved of physical contact that he involuntarily closed his eyes, identifying with her like a kindred spirit. She did care for Hades, if she were not so strongly in love with Zeus, she might have chosen his older brother instead. As a side thought, she supposed bitterly that a man like Hades would not wander to other women for enjoyment.

"If I had never laid eyes on Persephone, I would have gladly made you mine." Hades with unexpected tenderness.

They stayed like that, entwined in each other's arms for another long moment. Hades was the one who broke the silence.

"Now, please tell me what you really came down here for." He said with a sly smile.

Hera gasped in feigned surprise, her full lips parting into a tiny 'o.' Hades glanced at her lips, contemplating covering them with his own cold, thin ones. After an internal debate, he decided against it.

"Come now, you did not expect me to believe that you would travel so far from your heavenly throne just to converse with me, of all people, did you? You must want something, something only I can provide." Hades guessed, fondness for the cunning woman seeping into his tone.

With a sigh, Hera acquiesced. "Yes, Hades, I did have something in mind, actually. You know me far too well." She chuckled lightly, "I am in need of something, a poison, if you will."

Hades frowned in confusion, thinking Hera's jealousy was getting the better of her again. "Zeus will not take kindly to having any of his other wives poisoned."

She smirked irritably and ran a hand through a strand of her red hair.

"They are not his wives, they are his whores. _I_ am his true wife. And I do not intend to poison them, I intend to poison myself."

"_What?"_ Hades couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was unthinkable for any divinity to cause harm to themself, especially a Queen of the Heavens.

"If my husband feels anything more than apathy toward me, I am prepared to go through extreme motions to prove it. I need to know if he loves me, if he ever loved me, and I am afraid this is the only way to find out." Hera said determinedly.

After much consideration, Hades conjured a phial of a murky, stagnant liquid. He handed it to her and began an explanation of the properties of the liquid.

"This is an extremely potent poison, you would not care to know the ingredients that it consists of. Just know that it is so strong and fast acting that no mortal can survive after a second of ingesting it, it could even affect a god's immortality. This phial is not strong enough to kill you Hera, but it will hurt you, it will give you more pain than you've ever experienced in your life." Hades warned her.

She shrugged and eloquently replied, "Nothing can hurt more than being neglected."

He was in no position to stop her. He was one of the few deities who sympathized with Hera, he knew how much Zeus' infidelities scarred her heart.

She looked him in the eye once more before sipping the liquid. She dropped the phial, it dropped and shattered on the marble floor as she staggered, coughing harshly. Hades watched as the dewy glow of her skin that indicated her immortality began to fade.

Hades bent to support her, wrapping an arm around her waist as if she were a drunkard who had more than he could handle.

"You're-you were right...It is potent." Hera remarked wryly between coughs. In spite of himself, he kissed the top of her head and helped her across the throne room and outside of his palace.

"I shall help you to Olympus, by then, the poison will have taken full effect on you. I...I hope it gives you what you want."

Hera surprised him once more by hugging him tightly.

"You are my dearest friend, Hades, thank you for allowing me to do this." Her sincerity made him blush. It was an almost comical sight to see the dark god of the Underworld blushing like a young boy.

Indeed, the poison was fast acting, and before long, Hades was forced to carry Hera. He called for Iris, the goddess of the rainbow, because they could not make it the long way to Mount Olympus. Iris was alarmed to see the Queen so ill, and she hurried them up into the glistening palace.

Hades encountered half the royal court at the palace gates, all of them frightened by Hera's sickly appearance. In the short time it took for the poison to work, the glow that permeated her skin had diminished to a faint pallor and her eyes were clouded with pain. She was whimpering, a pitiful sound that no one would have ever expected out of such a merciless goddess.

Zeus was nowhere to be found. Hades figured his foolish brother would not care enough to wonder where his wife had gone. He clutched Hera even more protectively as he entered the palace.

Hermes greeted him at the front doors, he too, shocked at Hera's condition.

"What has happened to Her Majesty?" He questioned, gazing at her as she shivered incoherently.

"I found her in my realm, unconcious. I carried her here from my palace, even I cannot pinpoint the cause of her condition," Hades said, with the appropriate amount of concern. He was a smooth liar, and Hermes believed every word of it. He nodded, "This is horrible. No god has ever fallen ill before. His Majesty, Zeus, should be informed immediately."

"Do you know where he is?" Hades asked. Hermes replied affirmatively.

"He is in Crete." He did not care to go any further, as he knew how sensitive Hades was when it came to Zeus's mistreatment of Hera.

"Ah. Perhaps you would go down there and fetch him right now? He ought to know that his wife is suffering from a life-threatening ailment." Hades suggested coldly.

Hermes nodded and called for Hera's handmaidens. Four of them came out to the hall, their eyes widened in disbelief as they relieved Hades of their mistress and carried her themselves to her bed chamber. They did not notice Hades's reluctance in releasing her.

Hera began to convulse, rather violently, and she thrashed about the silk sheets in agony. She felt as though every fiber of her being was on fire, needles of pain stabbing the pores of her skin unrelentlessly. Tears formed in her eyes, something she had not done since she was a newborn goddess ages ago. This was the first time the Queen had cried genuine tears for a very long time.

Back in the hall, Hermes listened as Hera's cries grew louder. He looked back at Hades.

"Did you cast this spell on her?" He asked suspiciously.

"I did not. I found her in the Underworld, and at first she appeared just fine."

"Hmph. I will at once fetch Zeus. I would ask you to remain here, so that you might explain first hand to His Majesty how his wife came to be like this." Hades glanced into the bedchamber as the maids drew all the curtains shut.

"Of course. I will wait until you return."

Hermes sped off, kicking the heels of his winged shoes until he was running so fast that even Hades could only make out a blur in the distance. He peered down at the Earth and pondered all the different ways this situation could turn out.

_Oh Hera, what have you gotten us into?_ He thought with a touch of despair.

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On Earth, Zeus was playing with a princess named Eos, a demure beauty he had been trying to coax into marrying him. He was charming and larger than life, he had been in the middle of telling a story when his son Hermes interrupted.

"Your Majesty, I beseech you to return at once to Olympus. I bear ill news," Hermes announced, slightly annoyed that Eos had not stopped her incessant giggling until the end of his speech.

Zeus turned to him with steely eyes, clearly displeased at being disturbed.

"Surely it can wait? What is so pressing that it needs my immediate attention?" He drawled as he gazed at Eos appreciatively. She flicked her eyes at him in an inadvertently coquettish manner.

Hermes, who grew increasingly impatient as he thought of Hera back on Olympus, he unceremoniously revealed,"Queen Hera is deathly ill, and Hades is afraid she might be dying."

This caused the King of the gods to freeze. He turned once again to look at Hermes and stood silently. Eos looked chastised, but she dared not beg Zeus to stay.

"That woman. She appalls me with her lies and fallacies. I shall return, but to punish her for her spiteful deeds, for it is well-known that a goddess cannot fall ill." Zeus growled as he followed Hermes up the heavenly path.

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It was early morning when Zeus arrived. He stormed into the palace, the crowd of deities parting through the middle to make room for the seething king. He made his way quickly to his wife's bedchamber that she had separated from his own, and threw the doors open with all his might.

To his surprise, the room was completely dark save for a few candles, and he found Hades sat at his wife's bedside, clutching and caressing her hand as if he were her husband himself.

"Hades, what is the meaning of this?" Zeus boomed. The sound caused Hades to look up at his brother, and he barely managed to conceal a look of utter disdain.

"I am sure Her Majesty would appreciate it if you lowered your voice. She is suffering from what appears to be a rather severe headache, your obnoxious shouting will only cause her more discomfort." Hades snapped, narrowing his eyes as Zeus approached him, skepticism clear in his body language.

"Oh really, now. You expect me to believe that my wife is in danger of passing on? She is centuries old. We all are. No god has ever perished as a mortal might."

Hades growled, a guttural sound low in his throat as he stood to his full, imposing height.

"You bloody fool! Can you not see her? Can you not hear how she struggles to breathe? She cannot eat, she has vomited all the nectar and ambrosia we have tried to feed her. How far do you believe she would go in order to make you see that you have wronged her, brother?"

Indignance flashed in Zeus's eyes, at the moment, they had never appeared more opposite, Hades and his eternally dark features and attire against Zeus, who shined brighter than the sun. Hera's handmaidens cowered in fear, they did not want to remain in the vicinity if a full blown fight were to break out between these mighty gods.

"I can see she is putting on a spectacular performance. No doubt, you are her accomplice." Zeus's face morphed into a menacing expression, his normally handsome features contorted with anger and disbelief, "How long has this been happening, my dear brother?"

At Hades' enraged silence, Zeus pressed on.

"How long have you been bedding _my wife_?" The king of the gods spat furiously, his cheeks blotchy with rage. Hades opened his mouth to retaliate, but both of them were distracted by Hera's moans. They could not make out what she was muttering until she grew slightly louder in volume.

"Where...where is Zeus? Where is he? I...I need..."

Both brothers listened intently as she broke off, coughing desperately. Hades tightened his grip of her delicate hand which caused Zeus to stiffen.

"I wish he loved me...Oh heavens how I wish he did..."

If blood ran in the veins of gods, the blood of Zeus and Hades would have stopped cold at the sight of Hera as she trailed off and slipped away lifelessly, falling back gently on the plush cushions.

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**TBC...**

**A/N: What do you think?? Please read and review!**


	2. A Rose's Thorns

**Chapter Two:** A Rose's Thorns

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Greek mythology.

**A/N: Thanks to ****jermofobe, Zoe, Drama Queen 10155, Black Rose Writing, and Ramzes for your reviews! You're the ones who inspire me to keep writing. D**

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Hades gave a cry of alarm as he sprang up, he stood over Hera and gently cradled her face in his hands. Internally, he knew that this would happen, his poison was so effective it would induce a coma that could last for a few days or even weeks. He did not, however, expect to feel so much panic at the sight of the comatose queen, who looked like she would soon be joining him permanently in the Underworld. He paid no attention to Zeus, who stood back and finally looked as though he understood the precarious nature of the situation.

"Good grief, Hades, what is happening to her?" Zeus asked hoarsely, his posture sagged with worry. The proud god had lost his characteristic expression of merriment, it was replaced by one of genuine worry. He was so accustomed to Hera's outrageous schemes, but never had she taken it this far.

Then again, he did not know for a fact if someone else had done this to her, or if she had done this herself. He sighed, making a great effort to calm himself. He decided to behave rationally so that he may get to the bottom of this dilemma.

"I...I do not know. I found her on the steps of my palace, crying. She remained incapacitated, obviously, as I carried her up the rainbow."

There was silence, neither of them could bring themselves to say anything. Zeus shifted his weight, contemplating his course of action. He watched Hades watching Hera and thought with a twinge of regret, _How long have I been blind to this? How long has Hades loved my wife?_

"She is still alive," Hades admitted at last. He stood, turning to face him. "There is still a thrum of strength within her, but it is extremely faint. We must enlist the help of the others, if we are to save her." Hades' words sounded hollow, even to his own ears.

Zeus nodded in agreement. He took in Hera's drawn face, admiring her high cheekbones, full lips and the way her long eyelashes cast shadows upon the backdrop of her creamy skin. Her hair was fanned out around her head and it made a dark red halo that emphasized her skin tone.

"We must fetch Asclepius, Hygeia, Panacea and Iaso. They might be able to diagnose her and possibly provide a cure." said Zeus.

"I will return to my domain and investigate who could have done this to her." He was convincing enough on the outside, but inside, he knew exactly what had caused her condition since it had been he himself who gave her the poison. He cursed himself then, he should have never given it to her, he had not thought the ordeal would turn into such a nightmare.

Without another word, Hades resumed his icy persona, any humanity he might have exuded in his fit of concern for Hera was masked. He pivoted on his heel and with a whip of his black damask cape, he vanished.

Zeus turned back to his wife, pangs of remorse began to accost him so badly that his eyes began to sting with self loathing and disgust.

He was almost afraid to reach for her hand, as if his touch might further marr her.

He settled for sitting at her bedside, content to stare at her and contemplate their relationship. Obviously he knew he was not much of a husband. He liked the perks and privileges that came with being king of Olympus, he was born to be this way. There was so much mirth and joy to be experienced, any woman he wanted was his, any treasure or power in the kingdom that he wanted was his.

And yet-

_An image of his wife, sitting on her throne of diamonds and pearls, dressed more luxuriously than any woman or goddess in existence, but upon her face was a look of sheer agony. _

_Another image, this time, it was after the fiasco of Heracles' birth. Hera was furious at being tricked into nursing him, and incensed that Alcmene named her son in Hera's honor. She perceived it as an insult, to have her husband's bastard named after her. As irritated as Zeus was, he could not forget how enticing she looked, her wild red hair whipping around, her eyes flashing mutinously, or the way she stalked up to him as if she owned him. At the moment, he thought he would rather like being owned by such a dominating woman._

Zeus paused over these memories. He concentrated, trying to recall other times she had dropped her facade in public.

_She had called him a lying, unfaithful vagrant with all the venom and spite she could muster. He had been attempting to seduce her, she looked so beautiful, and she just renewed her virginity by bathing in the well Cananthus. Instead of welcoming him into her arms as she normally did, she slapped him across the face with the palm of her hand. Before he could comprehend what happened, she slapped him again across the other cheek. The whole of the royal court stopped and flinched to see their king so humiliated. Zeus was enraged, he thundered at her, "Be still, you impertinent cow!" She retaliated by striking him with both fists, on his torso and shoulders. He in turn grabbed her wrists and pinned them to her sides easily, holding her hard enough to bruise her. He dragged her forcibly outside of the pantheon and conjured bronze chains which he promptly fastened around her wrists. _

_"You will never speak to me like that again, Hera, or you'll suffer far more than this-" He threatened darkly. She glared at him and to his surprise and chagrin, she had the nerve to spit in his face. He gave a snarl worthy of a barbarian and hoisted her into the sky, where she hung by her wrists. He never forgot the expression she wore before he turned away from her. It was one of crushing hopelessness, she looked resigned and weary, like all her feistiness had left her._

_She hung there for one month, weeping bitterly. None of the other gods had come to her aid, they were all afraid of his anger. Hera tugged and twisted until the chains had cut into her skin. He finally let her go when he saw how much damage she had done to herself._

In retrospect, their relationship was an enormous series of battles, heartaches, infidelities and violent quarrels.

Zeus never really understood the feelings he harbored for Hera. She was his queen, his wife, his consort. She had always remained faithful to him, she never took other lovers despite his own numerous affairs. He respected her intelligence, revered the way her beauty and intellect fit so flawlessly together. When she smiled, as rare a thing as it was, she glowed brighter than Helios' chariot as he raced across the sky. When she laughed, his breath was stolen away by some invisible force only to be restored by the touch of her lips on his skin.

He had never felt so sorry in his long, long life.

He did love her, that much he knew. He just never valued her until he was in danger of losing her.

Zeus was shocked when he felt a tear drop land on his hand that covered Hera's. He never cried.

But here he was, hoping and praying fervently that the Fates would spare her and that she would recover.

What he wouldn't give for Hera to spring up from under the bedclothes and attack him with all the fury in the universe, rather than lie there as silent and somber as the grave.

* * *

At Zeus' command, Asclepius, Hygeia, Panacea and Iaso were summoned to the queen's room.

Zeus was ordered to wait outside while they ran their respective examinations.

Asclepius was a god who had a knack for telling things as they were. He poured every antidote he invented down Hera's throat, and waited to see if any of them had an effect. Nothing worked, she remained comatose. Her color had not improved much in the past two days, they were forced to feed her nectar through a long thin straw that ran down her throat.

Hygeia, Panacea and Iaso bathed her, changed her clothing and kept her company every day, all three of them were excellent nurses. They assisted their father in his tasks, cleaning his instruments and aiding him when he checked on Hera's condition.

Hades did not return immediately, he was too ashamed. He paced restlessly in his palace, unable to eradicate the sight of Hera from his mind. He was consumed by the urge to reveal their charade to Zeus, so he could cure her of the effects of the poison, but he also knew that she would have wanted to remain sick until Zeus confessed his undying love for her.

He grew increasingly frustrated, his resolve wavered constantly. He could not decide if he should reveal her plan for the sake of her health or if he should keep quiet for the sake of her heartache.

"What good is it to poison yourself to prove a point if you won't be around to see it?" He wondered.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Olympus, Apollo was also contemplating Hera's situation. Something did not add up. He sensed that something was amiss, being the god of truth, he paid a visit to the comatose queen. He found his father slumped over Hera, apparently sleeping.

Reaching for his father's shoulder, Apollo said, "It won't do you or her any good if you crush her body so. Up you get," Zeus sat up groggily, his features wrinkled with sleep. It was only midday, most of the world was up and about.

The chamber was ensconced in darkness, all of the velvet curtains were drawn and the smell of rose perfume was cloying to Apollo's nostrils. Hygeia had placed vases of the damned flowers on every flat surface of the room, thus accounting for the smell that permeated the room.

"Maybe if we opened some of these, Hera would not be so deathly pale." Apollo muttered as he moved to open a window. Zeus cried out negatively, "Don't! Asclepius says sunlight will disrupt the healing process."

Apollo looked back at Zeus, observing his glassy eyes, the bags beneath them and the general look of desperation in his countenance. He sighed and did as he was told.

"Father, you must not waste away yourself. It will do her no good if you are a withered old man by the time she gets better." He chastised gently.

"Nonsense, boy." Zeus scoffed despite the grumble of his stomach that followed his sentence. Apollo was slightly amused that after hundreds of years, his father still called him a 'boy.'

"Why don't you get something to eat? I will take your shift and watch over her."

Zeus hesitated and glanced from his wife to his son. He slowly stood, his legs straining after he'd been sitting so long.

"Alright, I will be right back, Apollo. If anything happens, send for me at once."

He nodded. "Of course, father."

Zeus took one more look at Hera, lying on her back underneath the sheets, and then turned to leave the bedchamber.

Apollo lowered himself onto the chair at Hera's bedside and took a moment to gaze down at his step-mother.

She did not look any better, and she was not even concious anymore. Occassionally she coughed, but other than that she did not move at all. That same feeling that something was not quite right about this was lingering in his mind.

He closed his eyes and pressed a long finger to her sweaty forehead, preparing himself to see all that had led up to her sickness.

_He saw Hera, lounging in her rooms with her handmaidens. She was stroking one of her favorite pet peacocks, the one with the most beautiful plumage. He watched her as she descended into the Underworld, crossing the Styx and negotiating with Hades._

_He watched as she downed poison, poison from Hades himself._

_He watched her as she mounted on her downward spiral, as Hades supported her to the palace._

_He watched, horrified, as Hera slowly but surely transformed from a powerful goddess into a shivering, vomiting wreck._

With a snap back into reality, the god of truth knew the reason why the queen was so deathly ill.

Now he had the same problem as Hades. Should he tell Zeus and give away the game to save her, or let things play out on their own?

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**TBC...**

A/N: Sooo...what do we think?? R&R please!


	3. Progression

**Chapter Three:** Progression

**A/N: Once again, thanks to all who reviewed, you guys make writing worth it!**

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything. This is all for fun.

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With this new knowledge in hand, Apollo went straight to the Underworld to confront Hades. He was troubled, a frown bent the fair god's brows, as he passed Cerberus and strode into the dark palace.

"When were you planning on sharing your little plot with the rest of us? Sometime before Hera perished, I hope?" Apollo cried upon encountering Hades in his library. Hades, who was pouring over some scrolls, looked up, somewhat startled by this intrusion.

"What in the name of Olympus are you talking about?" Hades snarled, although he knew he was cornered. It was simply inevitable that Apollo would find out on his own about what had happened to the queen. There was no escaping the truth.

Hades was a god who knew when to capitulate, so he decided to reveal all when Apollo asked.

"Do not play coy with me. You know you cannot side step me. I saw everything. She asked you for the vile poison, and you, you stupid FOOL, you _gave_ it to her! You knew what it would do to her-"

"I wanted to help her! You have no idea how she suffers!" Hades retaliated despite himself.

"I know that. Really, I do, but could you have picked a less destructive way of making Zeus confess his feelings?"

Hades shrugged distantly in a way that was purely his own.

"She begged me. I could not refuse her."

Apollo smirked. "You could not refuse her anything, could you? Aphrodite and Eros would have a field day if she ever found out you love Hera."

The god of the dead looked as dangerous as a black panther, muscles taut as he prepared to devour his prey. Apollo knew better than to be afraid of him however, and he approached the large mahogany wood table where Hades had been pouring over different texts and scrolls. He reached for the nearest scroll and lifted it so he could read it. It was a recipe for some kind of antidote...

Comprehension snapped through the god of light as he turned his sharp gaze back at Hades.

"Please do not tell me that you have no antidote for Hera's poison."

At his tense silence, Apollo at once knew the answer to his question.

"Oh mercy above..." Was all he could say.

Now that Apollo had more or less calmed down, he now saw Hades' grief. If it were possible, Hades had become even more pale than he was, his gaunt body was accentuated by the way his robes hung loosely from him. Apollo felt a little pity for the god, he knew he had to help him find a way to reverse his own doing.

"Well we will not accomplish anything by wallowing in self deprecation. Come, we must tell Hera of the way things are progressing, and to let her know we are thinking of a way to rescue her." Apollo dragged Hades up roughly by his arm.

"In case you haven't noticed, dear Apollo, but the queen is not exactly available to receive audiences as of now." Hades remarked dryly. This earned him a scathing glare from the other god.

"You insufferable twit, I was referring to mental communication. You know I can link your minds even though she is not physically awake. You can talk to her by entering her head, while I act as a median between the both of you."

Apollo had to repress the urge to snicker as he watched Hades fathom the idea with a confused look on his face.

"Of course, we must not tell Zeus. That will only ruin Hera's plan. We must work together, the three of us, to restore her to her natural state, but only when Zeus is not looking."

Hades snorted. "That may prove to be rather difficult, especially when I hear that all Zeus does is pine over her, day and night."

"We'll find a way." Apollo said confidently. "Now, we must hurry, we have no time to waste!"

The pair of them fled the Underworld, ascending into the heavens faster than Hermes could say, "Voila!"

* * *

Upon arriving, they were greeted by Hestia, a kind and gentle goddess who had volunteered to take a shift in monitoring the queen. They told her she could adjourn to the dining hall, where the rest of the parthenon's occupants were taking their meals.

She acquiesced and swept out of the dimmed bedchamber, allowing them to finally survey Hera's recent appearance.

"Oh dear, she looks quite peaky." Apollo murmured as he took a seat at her bedside.

Hades had proceeded in throwing the lock upon the bedroom door, just to make sure they were not interrupted. He stalked back over to the huge bed and parted the burgundy gauze curtains that hung from the bed posts. He peered inside and found Hera sleeping.

Something in him wilted at the reality of her condition, he half expected her to be recovering. He was sure the poison would only last two days at the most, it was now going on three. His disappointment spurred him on.

Apollo had picked up one of her hands and shut his eyes.

A moment later he snapped to again and looked at Hades.

"She's very weak. We have to do it now."

The urgency was not lost on him.

"Yes. I am ready." He sat on the opposite side of her and placed his hand over Hera's and Apollo's. The three of them were joined as one, Apollo began to chant softly and unintelligbly. Hades shut his eyes as well, clearing his mind of all other possible distractions.

_Hera's mind was not difficult to plunge into, he could tell she kept her thoughts more or less compartmentalized. Contrary to popular belief, Hera kept all of her emotions safely tucked away in a little corner of her mind, which led him to believe she was quite clear headed when she poisoned herself. He could dive effortlessly into the flowing current and get lost in the fluidity of it all. He was tempted to see what she thought of him, but he decided against it with his better judgement._

_"Who is there?" He heard her voice, small and trembling, and turned around to see her standing there in front of him. It felt like years since he last heard her voice._

_"It is I, Hades. How are you feeling?" Despite the obvious, he wanted to determine whether or not she was aware of what was happening to her._

_She sighed. "I feel awful. I cannot physically move although for the most part I am able to hear the goings on around me. How is everything out there?" She looked timid, almost frightened by what she wanted to know._

_"Zeus cannot think straight." Hades remarked wryly. This brought a half smile to her face, but it was shadowed by concern._

_"He has not done anything stupid, has he?" She asked. He nodded, no, and she visibly exhaled in relief. She looked healthier in her mind than out, he realized, which meant internally, she was fine. It was her body, ethereal or not, that needed healing._

_"Well, no more so than usual, I suppose." He paused to gather his thoughts, "Apollo and I are going to attempt to find an antidote. You have been unconcious for two and a half days, longer than I believed the poison would last on a god. Zeus has not left your side, only to eat and occassionally to monitor the Earth, but only because of the coaxing of Panacea." Hera listened thoughtfully at the details he was providing her with._

_"And Zeus, what has he done?" She tossed her auburn hair impatiently._

_He could not help a tiny bit of irritation at her constant questioning about her husband's actions._

_"He continually holds your hand and sleeps at your bedside. He is nearly reduced to hysteria at the sight of you. You really look quite horrendous now." Hades added flippantly. He watched as outrage flew through her eyes._

_"Horrendous, you say? Hmph. You can take your antidote and stuff it up your-"_

_"Oh, be at peace, woman!" He roared. She looked appropriately contrite as he admonished her. _

_"I apologise. I just..." She broke off and fingered the silky fabric of her dress, as if she were contemplating a great quandary. "It is very lonely having only one's mind for company. I am disappointed with my husband's reaction, and now you tell me that I am very ugly indeed. Oh how vain I must sound!"_

_He came closer to her, everything around them seemed to fade to grey._

_"You are not really hideous, my dear. Just tired looking." He looked into her eyes, warm and seemingly bottomless, it was as though he were staring down into the loveliest Tartarus._

_"Thank you." She whispered._

_A moment later, they were interrupted by a voice that was distinctly Apollo's._

_"Hades we must leave now! Hygeia has warned me that Zeus is rapidly apprroaching the bechamber. He must not discover what we are doing, or all will be lost!"_

_Hades bade Hera goodbye hastily, and reassured her that they would find an antidote. She stood beside the silvery river of her memories and dreams, her long cloak and gown elongating her silhouette. He gave her a small smile, hoping to offer her some comfort, before he abruptly pulled himself from her mind._

"Come, hurry!" Apollo murmured. The both of them promptly vanished into thin air as Zeus entered through the doors. He dismissed Iaso, Hygeia and Panacea, who were Hades' spies, and resumed his place at her bedside.

The three goddesses listened with tender hearts as Zeus spoke to his wife softly, in the most reverent voice they ever heard from his lips. He even brought a lyre with him, plucking the strings and singing lullabies, despite the fact he knew that she probably was too far gone to notice.

* * *

But Hera did hear him playing, albeit very faintly, the beautiful strums of music briefly touched the edges of her awareness. The sound of the instrument made her think of those blissful times just after they had been wed, when they fled to the farthest corner of the galaxy, where no one could find them.

They spent one month together, doing nothing but making love, frolicking about in the woods and lakes, and talking about everything and nothing. She so missed that time, centuries ago, when he had openly admitted his love for her. After so many years of a marriage that had run the course of its passion, she had grown used to the way things cooled between them.

Now, she could feel his heartbeat again, a purely unnecessary organ for a god to have, but he made himself one for her sake, saying that he wished to always feel it beat, for it would forever symbolize his devotion to her. She had gotten accustomed to feeling it physically beat for others as time dragged on, but now she knew that the unreasonable, unfair, painful, stubborn organ beat solely for her and her alone.

If she ever regained full possession of her body, she decided the first thing she would do was holdhim in her arms and never let go.

* * *

**TBC**...

A/N: Please review!! Sorry for the wait...


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